The Rachel Carson Forum is the MESA Club’s flagship annual event, held each spring to spotlight environmental justice, scholarship, and leadership. It brings together MES students, faculty, alumni, and the broader Evergreen and Olympia communities for a powerful evening of learning, connection, and inspiration.
What Is the Rachel Carson Forum?
Named after the trailblazing environmental scientist and author of Silent Spring, the Forum celebrates student-led academic community building. Each year features speaker(s) whose work engages with themes of environmental science, justice, equity, and systems change.
When Does It Happen?
Typically held in April, Earth Week of Spring Quarter, hosted on campus, with options for remote or hybrid attendance when possible. Details and event flyers are shared via email and Instagram closer to the event date.
When is the next RCF?
This year’s Rachel Carson Forum will be Thursday April 23rd, 2026!
Have a Speaker Suggestion? Want to Collaborate?
We’re always open to ideas! Whether you’d like to help organize, recommend a speaker, or offer support, please reach out!
📬 Contact us at: messtudentassociation@gmail.com
📩 Or submit your suggestion using our Idea Submission Form.
Past Themes & Guests:
- 2024: Rethinking Notions of Sustainability and Biodiversity
- Dr. Rob Knapp, Emeritus Faculty in Physics and Sustainable Design at The Evergreen State College – Talk will focus on sustainable design of buildings, and how that involves more than low-impact materials and energy efficiency; it is also about sustaining the lives of the people involved—those who use, operate or maintain them.
- Dr. Francisco Santiago-Avila, Science and Advocacy Director for Washington Wildlife First – “From ‘Biodiversity’ to Respecting Wild Lives: Transforming Our Relationship to Nonhuman Nature”
- Dr. Adam Romero, Professor at UW Bothell in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences – “What Would a Sustainable US Agriculture System Look Like?” This first part of the talk explores the potential of Trump administration actions to cause major agricultural change across the US. As such, the second part of the talk is a discussion about what we imagine sustainable agriculture to be and of our desires for the future of US agriculture.
- 2023: See the Recordings here.
